CSU's Deonte Clyburn sidelined again by blood clot

CSU linebacker Deonte Clyburn, who missed the 2016 season while taking medication to treat blood clots, is once again sidelined and on blood thinner medication.
Kevin Lytle

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Deonte Clyburn watches his CSU teammates practice for the 2017 season. Clyburn was diagnosed with another blood clot recently and is sidelined indefinitely. He missed the entire 2016 season because of blood clots.(Photo: Timothy Hurst/The Coloradoan)Buy Photo

Clyburn, a senior, missed the entire 2016 season while on blood-thinning medication for blood clots. Bobo said he's hoping for some sort of "miracle" that would allow Clyburn to recover and play at some point this season but realizes it's not likely.

Clyburn felt the clot during one of the first few days of fall camp and had it confirmed by a doctor. He was put back on blood-thinning medication and hasn't practiced since July 30. Teammates knew, but Bobo had repeatedly declined to comment publicly "out of respect for Deonte."

Clyburn wasn't available for comment, but teammates Josh Watson and Tre Thomas said they were clearly devastated by the news when they first learned of it, knowing how hard Clyburn had worked to get back on the field and play this year after sitting out last season.

"To hear and see that that illness came back is just like my heart stopped," Watson said. "I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was hurt."

Senior Kiel Robinson is expected to take Clyburn's place in the starting lineup alongside Watson, a junior middle linebacker, and Thomas, a junior strong-side linebacker. Bobo said Robinson, a starter in 2015, and Thomas, a starter in 2016, might switch places since both can play either position.

Clyburn had been cleared in March to resume playing football after redshirting last season. The 6-foot, 230-pounder from Louisville, Kentucky, quickly established himself as one of the Rams' top defenders during spring practices and talked glowingly of how excited he was to again be playing the game he loves.

"I don't know if a lot of teams are ready for what I have right now, because I've got a deep desire to play," Clyburn told reporters July 26 at the Mountain West football media days in Las Vegas. "I've got a deep desire on game day to really make my presence known and make my presence felt.

"I haven't played football in a year, and it's itching good. It's super-duper exciting to think I'm about to play football again."

Clyburn acknowledged that day that he had one more blood test to pass at the end of July to confirm the blood clots were gone. That test, he said, was a mere formality. He was certain he'd be good to go this season.

Bobo declined to speculate on whether Clyburn might be able to return this season.

"We're just praying for him that some miracle will happen, and he can get back out there," the coach said. "… We're just glad he's healthy and alive."

Clyburn worked his way into the starting lineup halfway through the 2015 season, starting the final seven games at middle linebacker. He finished the year as the team's fourth-leading tackler with 69, including seven for lost yardage. He had a total of 15 tackles in his first two seasons at CSU and played in all 39 games the Rams played from 2013-15.

He was at every practice, every position-group and team meeting, and on the sidelines at every game the Rams played in 2016, serving as a student assistant while keeping himself mentally sharp and sharing his knowledge with younger teammates.

He's done the same during practices the past few weeks, too, as the Rams prepare for their first game in their new on-campus stadium, at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 26 against Oregon State.

Clyburn is still a big part of the CSU defense, Watson said.

"He still brings a lot of energy to the defense, and we still feed off his energy," Watson said. "The whole defense has got a mindset that we're playing for him this year."

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news and listen to him talk CSU sports at 11:30 a.m. Thursdays on KFKA radio (AM 1310).